Japan & UK sign defence co-operation agreement #JDW #defense #news

Japan and the UK signed a Defence Equipment Cooperation Framework and Information Security Agreement on 4 July, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced in a statement. The agreements, finalised by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the recent G8 summit in Northern Ireland, set the legal framework for joint development of defence equipment. The Information Security Agreement, the statement said, "sets out the standards and arrangements for the security protection of classified information exchanged between the UK and Japan". Although not limited to defence, this agreement is key to future defence co-operation, including joint production of materiel.